Electric controller.



Patented Apr. 8, |902.

F. E. CASE.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

(Application filed July 16, 1900.)

2 Sheeis-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

Jnventor FrankBCase PUJA WHC/messes.

orodjxmo.. msnmcwn.

F. E. CASE.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

(Application led July 16, 1900.)

Patented Apr. 8, |902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SCIIENECTADY, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEV YORK.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,132, dated April 8,190.2.

Application filed .Tuly 16,1900.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. CASE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers,(Case No. 1,l63,) of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to a magnetic blowout device for electriccontrollers, and has for its object 'to provide an improved arrangementof the chute structure, in which the arcs are disrupted.

In my prior application, Serial No. 671,094, I have described andclaimed a new form of blow-out device in which the magnetic iield has adirection substantially at right angles to the direction of motion ofthe moving contacts and perpendicular to the face along which Contact ismade and in which the chutes are so arranged that the arc is restrainedin its movement in the direction in which it tends to move in themagnetic iield and is compelled to expand sidewise in iiattened loopsuntil it is disrupted.

My present invention comprises a inodilied form of the above inventionas applied to a controller of the type in which the movable contacts aremounted on a common support.

It also comprises certain details of construction applicable to switchesin general.

My invention will be more clearly understood by reference to thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, while its scope will be clearly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawingsJ Figure l illustrates a controller provided with an arcchute structure arranged according to my invention. Fig. 2 is across-section along the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective Viewshowing more in detail the construction of the chutes in which the arcsare disrupted; and Fig. l is a detail sectional view of one of theblow-out chambers, showing the position of the stationary and movablecontacts of the controller with respect thereto.

Referring to Fig. l, which shows my invention as applied to a controllerhaving two main cylinders, A illustrates the controller- Serial No.23,711. (No model.)

casing; C' and C2, the main controller-cylinders; C3, thereversing-switch cylinder, and M the blow-out magnet. The Xed contactsfor the controller-cylinders are mounted on the insulating-supportsd andd2, extending along the length of the controller-casing.

The arrangement thus far described constitutes no part of my invention.

lWIy invention relates to the structure B, containing the chambers inwhich the arcs are formed and disrupted at the time that the circuit isbroken at the controller-contacts. In the particular controller chosenfor illustration this structure comprises two sets of chutes of similarconstruction, one for each of the main cylinders, and is supported onhinges c and f at one side of the controller, so that it may be readilyswung aside to expose the controller-contacts to view. It is held in theclosed position bya bolt screwing into the core of the blow-out magnet.On the outside of the two sets of chutes and positioned directly overthe fixed contacts of the controller lie the bars of the magneticmaterial g and g2, constituting one pole of the blow-out magnet. Thesestrips are united to each other at g3 and g4 and are connected to thecore on which the coil M is wound by means of the portions g5 and g.

The construction of the chutes is shown more clearly in Fig. 3, whichrepresents in perspective a portion of the chute structure for thecontacts of the cylinder C. In the upper portion of this figure, whichis shown partially in outline, with the front broken away in order thatthe interior construction may be rendered clear, Z and Z represent thefingers supporting` two of the lined contacts of the controller. Thecooperating movable contacts are mounted on the surface of the cylinder,two of such contacts being shown at m and 'm'.

Each of the fixed contacts is mountedin an arcing-chamber, which has itsupper and lower walls provided with openings adjacent to the fixedcontact and its side walls cutaway to leave room for the contact-iingersand to permit the rotation of the cylinder-contacts. Adjacent to each ofthe arcing chambers above and below is arranged a second chamber, whichI have termed a v blow-out chamber, this chamber having an opening intothe arcing-chamber at the point adjacent to the controller-contacts andbeing otherwise closed, except for two openings in the front wall atpoints removed from the opening into the arcing-chamber.

As shown in the drawings, all the chutes are comprised in a commonstructure built of any suitable refractory insulating material. Theangularly-arranged strips b and b2 constitute the sides of the chutes.Between these side pieces are mounted the wedge-shaped strips h and h2,constituting the upper and lower walls of the arcing and blow-outchambers. Each of the strips h' is provided with an openingadjacent tothe fixed contacts, and each of the strips h2 is solid. A strip c', in-

, terposed between the strips h' and h2, completely incloses the backside of the blow-out chamber formed between the plates h and h2.

On the front the edges of all the strips lie in the same plane, and thesheet lc, fastened to these edges, closes the front side of both thearcing and the blow-out chambers. The part lc is provided with apertures7o at each side of each of the blow-out chambers, but it closescompletely the front side of the arcing-chamber.

As shown in the drawings, a blow-outchamber is provided on each vside ofeach of the arcing-chambers. This construction is rendered necessary inthe particular controller chosen for illustration by reason of the factthat in dierent positions of the controller the current flows indiierent directions through vthe controller-contacts, so thaty atcertain times the arc is propelled upward and at other times downward.As is well known, an arc when in a magnetic ield tends to travel in adirection at right angles to the direction of the linesof force. In theconstruction shown in the drawings the arc will travel either up ordown, according to the direction of currentiow, for the magnetic eld hasa direction downward until it reaches the edge of the contacts.Thereafter the arc is stretched, as shown in the dotted lines, until itextends through the opening inthe wall h and impinges against the lowerwall h2 of the blowout chamber.

` spreading of the arc along the length of fingers-and contacts. Theprogress of the arc in the direction in which it tends to travel islimited by its contact with the wall h2; but the arc being still withinthe influence of the magnetic field it is expanded in flattened loopsextending lengthwise of the chamber until linally it is disrupted. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that the arc is first The wall hprevents the blown for a certain distance in a direction at right anglesto the direction of the'lines of force away from the upper or lower edgeof the contacts until it impinges against the end wall ot' the 'blow-outchamber, and then, by reason of the restrictions afforded by the saidend wall, it is blown in two directions from the central point in aplane substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the movingcontacts of the controller.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is 1. In combination, in an electric controller providedwith a series of movable contacts mounted on a common support and aseries of fixed contacts adapted to engage therewith,

means for producing a magnetic eld in a di` rection substantially atright angles to the direction of motion of the moving contacts andsubstantially perpendicular to the face along which contact is made,ablow-out chamber adjacent to each of said fixed contacts, said chamberhaving an opening adjacent-to the contacts for the reception of the arc,and a closed wall opposite to said opening in the direction of travel ofthe arc.

2. In combination, in an electric controller `provided with a series ofmovable contacts mounted on a common support and a series ,of fixedcontacts adapted to engage therewith, means for producing a magneticfield in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction ofmotion of the moving contacts and substantially perpendicular to theface along which contact is made, an arcing-chamber inclosing each setof contacts,` and a blowout chamber adjacent to each arcing-chamiber,said blow-out chamber communicating with the arcing-chamber through anopening adjacent to the contacts and having a closed wall opposite tosaid opening. s 3. In combination, in an electric controller, arotatable cylinder provided with contacts, a plurality of iixed contactsadjacent thereto, ,means for producing a magnetic ield in a di- IOO IIO

rection substantially at righ-t angles to the direction of motion of themoving contacts and substantially perpendicular to the face along whichcontacty is made, anda chute structure comprisingarcing-chambers inclosA`ing the contacts, and blow-out chambers ad- `jacent thereto, each ofsaid arcing-chambers having portions of the walls cut away-to perlpmitthe rotation of the contacts and each of the v comprising blow-outcham-bers adjacent`-to each set of contacts, each of said blow-outchambers having an opening adjacent to the controller-contacts and aclosed wall opposite thereto in the direction in Which the arc tends totravel.

5. In combination in an electric switch, means for producing a magneticfield in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction ofmotion of the moving1 contacts, an arcing-chamber inclosing theswitch-contacts, and blow-out chambers on each side of saidarcing-chamber, said blow-out chambers communicating With the arcingchamber through openings adjacent to the contacts and having closedWalls opposite to said openings in the direction of travel of the arc.

G. In combination in an electric switch,

